Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Psyche.

Happiness
There comes a point where you just don’t care anymore. Care about what everyone says about you. Care what everyone thinks about you. Society gives us a whole list of things that we “have to do.” Just simple things that I, as a person, must do to comply with everyone else and be deemed socially accepted. When I was growing up, my mom was a major influence on me. I wasn’t a very confident or socially outgoing child. I kept to myself. I didn’t have many friends. I didn’t really have the urge or want to do what everyone told me I had to do in life. But why? Why can’t we all make our own way in life without having to give in to what everyone expects us to do and behave. More importantly, why can’t we all make our own decisions in life without being attacked or marginalized for doing what makes ourselves comfortable.
By James Roller8 years ago in Psyche
New Friends
Having 2 new friends sitting on each shoulder is not a weakness. Meet anxiety and depression. The ones that I never knew that had my back until last year, when they finally showed their face.
By Leaha Clarke8 years ago in Psyche
Mental Illness: The Demons Within
This illness is probably the least severe out of all the ones I have and has the least similarities to anything paranormal and will most likely be the shortest chapter of the book but because it is still a mental illness and one I do deal with, I will still write about it. I can become fixated on a specific person or object or topic for a long time and it will be all I can talk about.
By Alyssa Lactin8 years ago in Psyche
We're All in the Gutter
"We're all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." Oscar Wilde said that. Lately, this infamous poet and playwright has been popping up in a lot of conversations I have been having. This is the quote that plays on repeat in my head while I’m sitting on a park bench or in a café, watching the world go by. Countless faces going about their daily existence; strangers, the lot of them. But you can’t help but feel drawn to them, knowing we are all trying to do the same thing on this planet: live.
By Raven DaSilva8 years ago in Psyche
Making the Climb
All my life I have struggled with this sensation in my chest, well sort of in my chest. It was really centered right above my stomach and right below my sternum. For my whole life I walked around with this little black ball inside of me, I could feel it there, right underneath the surface of my skin. It always made me feel out of place somehow.
By Brittany Dolliver8 years ago in Psyche
Learning to Breathe
"Just breathe, Baby." I try to focus on those three words. Just three words which sound farther to me than the atmosphere. Still, for the moment I am desperately trying to cling to them. To find solace in those words.
By B.C8 years ago in Psyche
Hiding Behind a Smile
Holding onto hope. Depression does not define you. For too long I lived my life hating who I was. It was a constant battle inside my head between who I wanted to be versus what depression would permit me to become. I allowed it to define me because of my lack of self- worth and because at the time, people had labeled me as who they saw. I was the “freak,” “miserable,” “pathetic” and “self- absorbed.” Instead of trying to understand my problem, I became the problem. Therapy and medications defined me as damaged. People withdrew from my company. I became isolated to the point that suicide seemed ideal. After all, who could possibly miss me when I was gone?
By Jess8 years ago in Psyche
This I Believe...
I believe anyone can overcome the death of a significant other. That having to cope with the loss of someone you love so dearly can only make you stronger.
By Alyssa Shifflett8 years ago in Psyche
The Total 100% Truth of When (and why) I Tried to Kill Myself
Picture it. Summer, 2014. It was the summer before my senior year in college. I got a job at my university living in a dorm helping out with summer camps. I lived totally on my own for the first time ever, my own private room and free time out the wazoo. And this was the year that the app Tinder was used by everyone. Obviously that included me.
By Sawyer Garrett8 years ago in Psyche
My Room Doesn't Have More Elephants than Yours
An elephant trying to cross a tightrope on a unicycle. Not sure if it was safe, no certainty whatsoever if he could, should, would make it to the other side. The elephant knew, though, once on the tightrope, there was no turning back. He convinced himself it was worth it but his legs did not seem to respond. He did not understand it. They were working a minute before.
By Fernanda Grether Zdanowsky8 years ago in Psyche
Depression
#DEPRESSION Depression is not the same as sadness, it isn't self-pity or self loathing, it's something far more internal and is usually triggered by emotions that have nothing to do with money, cars, or beautiful partners. In fact many rich, successful people with wondrously beautiful spouses suffer depression and some have even commit suicide because of it, and the worst thing is the outer world saw these people as having perfect lives simply because they owned a lot of material items and had a plush bank account so nobody even cared to notice what was going on internally. This is the problem that we have regarding depression, people think it is about outer self, that it is about not having material items or comparing to others, those are all outer things and you may want and you may very well need these items in your life but they are not enough to trigger depression if you don't have them, because there is no emotion attached to fast cars, money and luxury goods.
By Cordayne Wander8 years ago in Psyche
PTSD
"PTSD, are you sure?" I nod with uncertainty, at the woman across from me, although I had a formal diagnosis under my wing.
By Alison Atkinson8 years ago in Psyche